Sleep to Wake
by carcinoGeneticists
Summary: Sleeping was never my strong suit but it is especially important at the moment, so I slow my breathing, empty my brain, my eyes, and Wake up. Written in Dirk's POV. Rated T for language.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing all Homestuck characters belong to Andrew Hussie and Play by Heart was created by alphastarr on Newgrounds. AU, most likely OOC, but hey, them's the breaks. This is written in Dirk's POV. The owner of the rp site that I'm a part of challenged me to turn this game into a fanfic based on how I played, so here it is.**

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I was peacefully sleeping in my bed until some asshole started shouting. "Get yer ass up boy, the boss needs to see you fer something!" Said asshole's name was Hearts Boxcars, he's one of my fellow Midnight Crew members and has a special kind of hatred for me-one that is absolutely and completely inexplicable. I started to get out of bed and as usual Boxcars was being extremely impatient. "C'mon runt let's move it or I'll really thrash you."

"I'm going." I said getting out of the bed.

He shook his head. "Slow as godamn molasses."  
I was getting a little irritated, it was too damn early for this shit…"I said I'm going. Don't lose your head, dude."

He glared at me for a moment. "I hope Slick knifes ya you little shit."  
I shook my head and headed towards where Slick was, and knowing him if he wants to see me then Boxcars' wishes have a good chance of coming true, I have no idea what Slick wants, but I stayed on my guard as I approached him, not that I'm not always.

"Took you long enough kid." Slick said as I approached him.

"Pretty sure it didn't actually take more than a couple of minutes, but whatever you say, Boss." I responded slightly annoyed.

"You better cut the sass twerp or I'll cut it out for you." Slick snapped. "I've got an important job for you so listen up. You're going to take out the English kid."

I tilted my head. "What?"

"The worthless offspring of that miserable green asshole. The one that's the biggest goddamn imbecile I've ever had the misfortune of interacting with." Slick said.

"You mean Jake?" I asked.

"We don't gotta make this complicated with the name of the kid we just gotta make him dead. It's about damn time we offed em, we're gonna destroy the Felt once and for all. It pains the hell outta me to admit it, but I can appreciate the way you work kid. You ain't as completely worthless as I thought, so I'm giving you this hit and hoping you don't screw it up." Slick said.

"So you want me to kill Jake?" I asked.

"Don't make me repeat myself, now enough of this bullshit go murder that brat and then get your ass back here." Slick said.

I pondered on this for a moment. "Alright." This wasn't exactly what I had planned, but I've been given my objective so that's at least a start. I entered my room to gather my equipment and thoughts before I went into hitman mode. As expected, the place is fully equipped with stereotypical mobster paraphernalia: guns, cigars, a switchblade, glass bottles with what might be moonshine, and more guns. Damn there are a lot of guns...there's also a closet with clothes in it. Anyways, I take one of the guns that I thought would fit my hand the best, it's not really my style, but it's all I've got, with any luck I won't have to use it. I also take my switchblade, which is as close to a kantana as I'm going to get. then I went to the closet and pulled out a double-breasted trench coat and put it on, I reached into one of the deep pockets and found something in one of them...it was a Jack of Hearts playing card, I decided to keep it with me and hit the streets to find Jake.

I left the Midnight Crew hideout and wandered down the sidewalk while thinking over my current problem, the problem being that I had no idea where Jake was. There were a number of places that the esteemed Felt member could be hiding out. Truly the options are staggering, especially considering the nature of my target and my mind is drawing a complete and total blank. A guy like Jake could certainly get around. I feel that it would be best to seek some advice and come up with a plan before I make my move. After all I of all people know better than to dive into a situation without being fully informed first. Thankfully I remember just the person to go to in a situation like this, my feet seem to know where to take me as I am now standing outside a very familiar bar.

I entered the bar and observe the mixture of human and carapace patrons, there's a carapace behind a piano, playing a jazzy ragtime number. I glanced around and spotted a familiar face behind the bar and approach it.

"Hey there, Rox. How's business?" I ask.

"Diiiiiiiiiirk~ Long time no see! Buisniss is good (*business) You know me I keep things real, real boozed up!" Roxy said.

I watched her maneuver around the bar, picking up glasses with practiced ease. She pours some kind of amber liquid on the rocks and slides it my way. I accept, picking up the glass and taking a measured sip. It burns my throat and warms my stomach and I fight the urge to wince at the aftertaste as Roxy grins cheekily at me.

"So what brings you round these parts?" Roxy asked.

"What besides seeing a pretty face?" I said smirking.

"O shaddup I know you, somethin' must be up right?" Roxy said.

"Ah, you caught me, I'm looking to scope out some intel on a job I'm working, think you can help me out?" I asked

"Can't make any promises, but I can see what I can help you with, lots of juicy gossip around here. Plenty a people here gots some pretty loose tongs after a few drinks (*tongues) you'd be surprised what I know." Roxy said with a wink.

"That's what I'm counting on, I have business with one Jake English do you happen to know where he's been hiding nowadays?" I asked.

Roxy frowned a little. "Aww, now you know I can't go giving out information like that to rival gang members, it could cause all sorts of trouble for my bar, you know this is neutral territory Dirky."

I sighed a little. "Yeah, yeah I know, I'm not looking to cause any trouble for you, if you can't say, you can't say. But you know someone who can right?"

Just then Jane Crocker arrived at the bar and came over to where Roxy and I were.

"Hey there Janey~" Roxy greeted her. "Dir-Stri I think this might be just the gal you're looking for, but u didn't hear it from me okay." Roxy said winking and returning to tending her bar and patron leaving me to regard Jane Crocker.

"So I hear you're in some need of assistance Mr. Strider." Jane said turning to me.

"You hear correctly Miss Crocker. Can you clue me into the whereabouts of our mutual acquaintance, Jake English?" I asked.

Jane raised an eyebrow. "Before I do that, what is the nature of this business you have with Mr. English?" She asked. "I know your type Strider, how do I know that you're not a catalyst for another full out gang war? It's been relatively quiet between your groups, I'm getting a little suspicious.

I didn't want to tell her my true motives so I lied like a bitch.

"I'm looking to strike a deal, extend an olive branch, as it were, from one gang to another, find a compromise so that we could split out turf and leave each other the hell alone, once and for all."

Jane was still suspicious. "This doesn't sound like the usual work of Mr. Slick. Are you working on this on your own this time?"

I nodded. "Yeah, you could say that. I've got plans of my own, and quite frankly, I don't give a shit about what McStabby has to say about it."

Jane relaxed and smirked a little. "Well, whatever the case there's only one place Jake English has been hanging around lately. He's been keeping a suspiciously low profile. If you want to find him you'll have to scope out the Felt Mansion."

Shit, that's all I need right now, to go into the heart of a rival gang's territory in order to off their second in command. Ah, whatever I've faced worse odds than this plenty of times before, so I got this. "Thanks Jane I owe you one." I said getting ready to leave.

"And don't you forget it Strider!" She said laughing a bit.

I left Jane to her drink and nodded my goodbye to Roxy as I head out the door, tucking my hands into my pocket as the cool night air hits me again. The Felt Mansion was on the other side of town so I had quite a bit of walking to do before I finally arrived there. Felt Mansion is unmistakable; a huge, hideous building on the edge of town. It's a familiar sight, but not because I gallivant around it frequently. In fact a Midnight Crew member such as myself generally keeps the fuck away from all Felt territory. Messing around with the rival gang's turf inevitably leads to violence and though I am a hitman, I'm certainly not stupid enough to kick a wasp's nest...well not until now, I guess...

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**A/N: I am breaking this up into three parts, just because there's a lot to write, next part will be up as soon as I'm done typing it. **


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